Top 5s

1. Arooj Aftab

2. Cassandra Jenkins

3. Art School Girlfriend

4. Marissa Anderson & William Tyler

5. Kraftwerk

Saturday afternoon/evening in the Walled Garden was possibly one of the best stints of great music since I've been going - over 12 years.

I thought Buckley & Butler were so much better in the GM tent, just the voice and guitar. She's got a great voice, the less instruments around her the better.

1. Arooj Aftab

2. Jenny Hval

3. Charlotte Adigery & Bolis Pupul

4. Mdou Moctar

5. Minyo Crusaders

Tough to limit it to just 5, but here goes and in no particular order,

1 Mdou Moctar

2 Torres

3 Orchestra Baobab 

4 The Murder Capital

5 Ezra Furman

We scored all the near 30 sets we saw, this is our combined Top 5:

1) Parquet Courts - brilliant set from one of our favourite bands

2) Melin Melyn - packed so much fun into 40 mins (that flypast cost us a lot of money!)

3) Psychedelic Porn Crumpets - psych rock superstars in the making

4) Ezra Furman - a unique talent

5) PSB - looked very much at home as main stage sub-headliners

Close but not quite top 5; Kraftwerk, KJP, English Teacher, Keg, BCNR and Pip Blom

Also enjoyed Deptford Northern Soul DJs for a final dance before calling it a night.

another fabulous weekend

in which i spent almost no time with anyone from here because i was always rushing somewhere else to see another band

in fact mrs rad felt she didn't see much of me this year

so anyone else was always going to be short-changed of my scintillating company

this top 5 thing is a bastard

loads of people were absolutely wonderful

but i have to narrow it down to five (and i'm still going to cheat)...

1.  arooj aftab / ezra furman

about as different as two acts / experiences could be - but impossible for me to choose between them for the top spot.  i was initially disappointed that maeve gilchrist wasn't there with AA on the harp, as we know her a bit.  but the two member band (spanish guitar and stand up bass) were remarkable nonetheless.  and that voice...  a great audience too.  pin drop quiet.  at least up near the front where i was.  a few people (me included) seemed to be having out of body experiences.  EF, on the other hand, was entirely physical.  hurling herself around that stage like it was the last show she'd ever play.  the commitment is insane.  i bored several people afterwards comparing it to nirvana at reading - and how if this were a televised festival (and it were maybe 1991...), ezra would be a household name this week.  she's every bit as as charismatic and knife-edge chaotic as cobain in his prime.  it blew me away - and i decided to leave afterwards.  normally i cling on on sunday, desperate for things not to finish.  but nothing was going to top that.  unless arooj aftab had come back on

2.  katy j pearson

i'm sorry - but if you weren't grinning like an idiot by the end of that, you're dead inside.  big moment for her - and she nailed it.  maximum joy

3.  english teacher

this year's lazarus kane.  the rising stage has the best atmosphere by a country mile.  if you pull a big crowd there, they are going to help you bring your A-game.  and english teacher gave an A plus.  (see what i did there?)  i bumped into lily later that evening and got to quickly tell how great i though they'd been.  she looked like i wasn't the first person to mention it.  a very (deservedly) happy young woman

4.  pictish trail

how much fun was that?  i almost never listen to him during the year.  and then at every GM, he blows my mind.  as he mentioned himself, it was a bit early for him to be on - he and the crowd weren't as riotously drunk as they usually are - and the main stage is not his natural habitat.  but watching that made me feel drunk anyway.  in the best way.  special mention to john the topless dancer.  who was almost certainly feeling his thighs the next morning

5.  jessie buckley & bernard butler

i nearly didn't go.  the album feels a bit mannered and a little up itself.  but wandered over out of curiosity and managed to gradually wiggle my way closer to the front.  fuck, they were good.  that voice!  as someone else mentioned above, JB definitely runs the risk of being a bit annoying.  bonkers actress cliches abound.  but the joie de vivre outweighed it all and i enjoyed it almost as much as those two kids she pulled up on stage to sing along with her

honourable mentions (in the order i saw them):

planningtorock.   she was having the best time.  the vibe was great.  and never have i seen so many under-10s frantically grooving to a song about how much someone makes you wet

john francis flynn.  wrong stage.  and i missed the rest of the band.  but he's grand

cassandra jenkins.  was very excited to see her - though again, wrong stage.  it didn't quite take off as much as i'd hoped - but still spellbinding.  also, points for that excellent jacket

modern nature.   a struggle not to put them in my top 5.  easily the best run through of 'island of noise' i've seen so far.  great to hear jack adding some of the chiming guitar of ultimate painting to the free-jazz-meets-krautrock of MN.  and to be able to tell him how good i thought they'd been as i ran into him desperately trying to get his baby to sleep around the back of einstein's garden later

porij.  another show that would have made my top 5 in a less competitive year.  i had no expectations.  mrs rad's daughter's husband wanted to see them - so i went with him.  and they were brilliant.  cf my thoughts above about the rising stage + a good audience

bicep.  the only time i went into the tent all weekend.  i walked in.  i stumbled out.  huge.  way too quiet at first.  but once we shuffled closer to the speaker stacks, i was fully in it.  dad dancing was danced.  i did not care

ural thomas & the pain.  maybe you can see why he didn't make it the first time round.  and i could have done with fewer songs about food.  but very difficult not to enjoy his sheer delight to be there.  and his moves.  and his outfit

naima bock.  another set i was hugely looking forward to.  but slightly stymied by the smallest crowd i saw all weekend - and a ropey sound mix.  also missed nathan pigott on the clarinet.  still pretty great though.  and how much does that keyboard / guitar player look like tim buckley?

valerie june.  another surprisingly small crowd.  i thought she'd pull a mass of people.  didn't seem to bother her, though.  she appeared hugely pleased to be on that stage and playing for us (if it's part of her schtick and she's putting it on, she's a tremendous actress).  and she delivered a fantastic set.  all of our lot fell a little bit in love with her

disappointments:

not that many

great songs - great band - but frazey ford seemed unable to deal with how much the crowd were enjoying her - which put a bit of a damper on her set.  even kras, on the rail, dead centre, dancing like a maniac (kudos, my friend) couldn't get her to seem pleased to be there

did kraftwerk just have someone put their records on backstage, rather than bothering to play them?  i didn't really see the point.  the biggest crowd i've ever seen at GM mostly appeared to be disagreeing with me

that was about it, though.  i'm sure there was a lot of absolute rubbish.  but i managed to avoid it.  well done me

>did kraftwerk just have someone put their records on backstage, rather than bothering to play them?

I did wonder just what were they doing on those consoles. some improv and variation from the records would have been interesting, but probably against what they are about.

At least with a group like the Sleaford Mods there's no pretense here...press play, stand back and drink beer.

I should add that I'm not at all surprised to see Arooj Aftab take a deserved high place in many of your lists. I had the pleasure of seeeing her last November in what has to be the greatest indoor music venue in the world .. the TIVOLIV REDENBURG in Utrecht.

Her performance at GM was at a time when I needed a dose of Chai Wallahs so I missed it. The Utrech performance is on Youtube .. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPRuWiI2ZPQ

"1. Arab Strap  Joint winners of the Slugger Scottish Album of the Year 2021 award and the tracks they did from this were awesome. Kebabylon and Urban Fox blew me away and the old stuff sounded as fresh as it did over 20 years ago. "

Completely agree re: the old stuff - I reckon their latest album is the apogee of their sound and all the old material was absolutely fantastic with the updated beats/post-rock guitar/production. Would be delighted if they re-recorded some of the early stuff, though I imagine it's the last thing they'd ever want to do. Loved Aidan's self-aware 'hang on, you kids don't give a f*ck' when he did a bit of 'this is an old one' waffling - a lovely contrast to some of the cloying stage banter from the American acts (Beach House I'm looking at you)

1. Kae Tempest. This was an emotional one for me, People’s Faces had me tearing up and I could see in the crowd I wasn’t the only one. Kae seemed really at home performing in a way that I don’t think they did a few years ago, it seemed like they were genuinely having a great time and I loved that when they messed up a line of lyrics they laughed it off. And after a cloudy afternoon, the sun coming out during their set made it feel extra special.

2. Ezra Furman. Love her lyrics, love her rock star performance, and the whole band are just a hell of a good rock group. She was in her element on the big Mountain stage and really delivered. New album is a delight.

3. Black Country, New Road. I was unsure about this one given the clash with Arooj Aftab, and given that the departure of Isaac from the band meant they would be playing entirely new material. They completely won me over though, I’ve never been so engaged by an hour of entirely new songs that I’ve never heard before. Loved the bit where five of the band members had a little sit down on stage. 

4. BCUC. I didn’t know much about their music going in but it was so engrossing, they had the whole crowd paying attention and dancing away. Love that the request for a moment’s silence was actually listened to.

5. Public Service Broadcasting. I’ve seen them many times and they’ve yet to let me down. It was great to finally have them on the Mountain Stage. 

Honourable mentions: 

Bicep (kept me dancing through the full set despite some very tired legs), 

Charlotte Adigery & Bolis Pupal (great fun, great beats - I love her sarcasm and sense of humour), 

Carwyn Ellis (fantastic choice for a Sunday morning, very cinematic with the orchestra), 

Minyo Crusaders (the fishing dance was fun), 

M(H)AOL (I have a soft spot for angry queer women), 

Tune-Yards (good fun and I got nostalgic for their previous Green Man set), 

Preen (fun start to a Friday), 

English Teacher (bit of Leeds pride for me on this one)

James Yorkston & Second Hand Orchestra (missed the first half but loved what I saw)

... and loads of other good stuff. I think my feet are still recovering.

My five:

Ezra Furman - Magnificent set, angry, passionate, great r'n'r.

Pictish Trail - predictable but the best I've seen him, great band, everyone says it their favourite place but he really means it

Keeley Forsyth - More performance art than music, challenging, intense, for fans of Scott Walker's more avant garde moments. Sometimes you want to be challenged and see something that you wouldn't normally see, this did it for me

Aroof Aftab - Absolutely captivating, again something I am unlikely to usually see

Viagra Boys - Much more interesting than I thought they might be, more heavy pysch.

Others of note - Melin Melyn, William Tyler & Marisa Anderson, Ichiko Aobo, Keg, El Goodo, Witch, John Mouse, Joe & the Shit Boys

Disappointments - I'm going off the Far Out, less keen on getting right in the thick of it these days, Arab Strap were in my top five to see but about halfway in slightly to the left the constant chatter of the audience was like a constant hum, moved out to sit on a straw bale where it was much better. Similar for the Murder Capital. Missing out on much of the late night stuff, Scalping, Bicep etc. Was looking forward to Yves Tumor but bass was completely over the top so difficult to hear much else. Very sorry to see Cwmdu Communtiy stall no longer there. Usual great food selection, special mention to Cafe Dish and their excellent salads. Ws thinking this might be my last for various reasons but think I'll be back next year

Sorry not to have met more of you, very good to see those that I did.

Looking like Ezra may be leading so far - i'm a huge fan but only saw half so i could check out Ty. Therefore, in no particular order:

Top 5:
 
Mdou Moctar - best looking band of the weekend and amazing saharan blues. Drummer was something else
Frazey Ford - her voice is just special, and I slotted into her groove in seconds
Cassandra Jenkins - woozy and sublime. Her lyrics and voice transported me
Carwyn Ellis - what a fun way to start the last day. Wasn’t expecting it to be so good
KOG - last set of the weekend at Chai - most fun possible with your clothes on etc
 

Amazing time as usualMy 17th I think!

My fave five I watched all through with absolute joy in no particular order. So different.

John Mouse

Tune-Yards

Katy J Pearson

Ty Segall & Freedom Band

Melin Melyn

Jenny Hval

OK 6 but they were all standouts!!